Unified Radio Solution

ABSTRACT

A unified radio system for providing wireless communication to a communication device on an aircraft regardless of aircraft altitude may include a terrestrial network including a plurality of terrestrial base stations configured to communicate primarily in a ground communication layer below a first altitude, an ATG network including a plurality of ATG base stations configured to communicate primarily in an ATG communication layer above a second altitude, an air-to-air mesh network for data relays through connected aircraft, and an aircraft with an onboard antenna assembly and a unified radio. The unified radio may be configured to monitor network parameters of the terrestrial network and the ATG network and switch between a currently serving network and a non-serving network based on the network parameters.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. application No. 62/837,816filed on Apr. 24, 2019, the entire contents of which are herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Example embodiments generally relate to wireless communications and,more particularly, relate to techniques for enabling optimal andseamless connectivity for aircraft (and devices thereon) at allelevations and geographical locations via a single, multimodal radiosolution.

BACKGROUND

High speed data communications and the devices that enable suchcommunications have become ubiquitous in modern society. These devicesmake many users capable of maintaining nearly continuous connectivity tothe Internet and other communication networks. Although these high speeddata connections are available through telephone lines, cable modems orother such devices that have a physical wired connection, wirelessconnections have revolutionized our ability to stay connected withoutsacrificing mobility.

However, in spite of the familiarity that people have with remainingcontinuously connected to networks while on the ground, people generallyunderstand that easy and/or cheap connectivity will tend to stop once anaircraft is boarded. Aviation platforms have still not become easily andcheaply connected to communication networks, at least for the passengersonboard. Attempts to stay connected in the air are typically costly andhave bandwidth limitations or high latency problems. Moreover,passengers willing to deal with the expense and issues presented byaircraft communication capabilities are often limited to very specificcommunication modes that are supported by the rigid communicationarchitecture provided on the aircraft.

As urban and regional air mobility, and other modes of air travelincrease, the accessibility and integration of air mobility into thepublic consciousness will undoubtedly increase. With increased usage,both the public users of air travel platforms, and the platformsthemselves (and equipment thereon) will have increased communicationsneeds. However, separate aviation network operators typically exist foroperations in various different geographies and elevations. Thus, it isgenerally not possible to have one device stay connected to one networkthroughout a journey of nearly any kind without sacrificingsubstantially in terms of latency or cost.

Additional complications arise in aviation when each unique procedure oroperation in a particular portion of airspace requires different radiosystems for communications, navigation, or surveillance. The term,“Mixed Equipage” is used to describe the situation involving differingradio systems requirements by aircraft type and by airspace operationalrequirements. Radio systems that provide more integrated solutions forthese functions, that could be implemented across more aircraft types,operating in more kinds of airspace, hold the potential for increasedairspace efficiency, with reduced costs for operators.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF SOME EXAMPLES

Some example embodiments may provide a system in which coverage providedby terrestrial networks, satellite networks, air-to-ground (ATG)networks, air-to-air (ATA or V2V), and any other applicable networks cannot only coexist in the same geographical area, but can be leveraged toensure reliable, optimized and continuous communications regardless oflocation and elevation.

In one example embodiment, a unified radio system for providing wirelesscommunication to a communication device on an aircraft regardless ofaircraft altitude may include a terrestrial network including aplurality of terrestrial base stations configured to communicateprimarily in a ground communication layer below a first altitude, an ATGnetwork including a plurality of ATG base stations configured tocommunicate primarily in an ATG communication layer above a secondaltitude, and an aircraft with an onboard antenna assembly and a unifiedradio. The unified radio may be configured to monitor network parametersof the terrestrial network and the ATG network and switch between acurrently serving network and a non-serving network based on the networkparameters.

In another example embodiment, a unified radio for providing wirelesscommunication to a communication device on an aircraft regardless ofaircraft altitude is provided. The unified radio may include an antennaassembly configurable to facilitate communication with a terrestrialnetwork comprising a plurality of terrestrial base stations configuredto communicate primarily in a ground communication layer below a firstaltitude, and an air-to-ground (ATG) network comprising a plurality ofATG base stations configured to communicate primarily in an ATGcommunication layer above a second altitude. The unified radio alsoincludes processing circuitry configured to monitor network parametersof the terrestrial network and the ATG network and switch between acurrently serving network and a non-serving network based on the networkparameters.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will nowbe made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn toscale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of an example network deploymentproviding multiple networks for which a multimodal radio system mayintelligently provide connectivity in accordance with an exampleembodiment;

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a unified radio solution inaccordance with an example embodiment;

FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of various components of a unifiedradio in accordance with an example embodiment;

FIG. 4 illustrates a functional block diagram of antenna elements of anexample embodiment; and

FIG. 5 illustrates a functional block diagram of a method according toan example embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Some example embodiments now will be described more fully hereinafterwith reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not allexample embodiments are shown. Indeed, the examples described andpictured herein should not be construed as being limiting as to thescope, applicability or configuration of the present disclosure. Rather,these example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure willsatisfy applicable legal requirements. Like reference numerals refer tolike elements throughout. Furthermore, as used herein, the term “or” isto be interpreted as a logical operator that results in true wheneverone or more of its operands are true. As used herein, operable couplingshould be understood to relate to direct or indirect connection that, ineither case, enables functional interconnection of components that areoperably coupled to each other.

As used in herein, the term “module” is intended to include acomputer-related entity, such as but not limited to hardware, firmware,or a combination of hardware and software (i.e., hardware beingconfigured in a particular way by software being executed thereon). Forexample, a module may be, but is not limited to being, a process runningon a processor, a processor (or processors), an object, an executable, athread of execution, and/or a computer. By way of example, both anapplication running on a computing device and/or the computing devicecan be a module. One or more modules can reside within a process and/orthread of execution and a module may be localized on one computer and/ordistributed between two or more computers. In addition, these componentscan execute from various computer readable media having various datastructures stored thereon. The modules may communicate by way of localand/or remote processes such as in accordance with a signal having oneor more data packets, such as data from one module interacting withanother module in a local system, distributed system, and/or across anetwork such as the Internet with other systems by way of the signal.Each respective module may perform one or more functions that will bedescribed in greater detail herein. However, it should be appreciatedthat although this example is described in terms of separate modulescorresponding to various functions performed, some examples may notnecessarily utilize modular architectures for employment of therespective different functions. Thus, for example, code may be sharedbetween different modules, or the processing circuitry itself may beconfigured to perform all of the functions described as being associatedwith the modules described herein. Furthermore, in the context of thisdisclosure, the term “module” should not be understood as a nonce wordto identify any generic means for performing functionalities of therespective modules. Instead, the term “module” should be understood tobe a modular component that is specifically configured in, or can beoperably coupled to, the processing circuitry to modify the behaviorand/or capability of the processing circuitry based on the hardwareand/or software that is added to or otherwise operably coupled to theprocessing circuitry to configure the processing circuitry accordingly.

Some example embodiments described herein provide a system,architectures and/or methods for improved aviation-related communicationnetwork (e.g., satellite network, air-to-ground (ATG) network,air-to-air (ATA or V2V) network, or hybrid network) performance. In thisregard, some example embodiments may provide a unified radio system thatcan provide optimal and seamless connectivity for aircraft (and devicesthereon) at all elevations and at all geographic locations within thecontext of aviation-related network communication. In this regard,example embodiments may enable a communication device onboard anaircraft (e.g., aircraft communication equipment or passengercommunication equipment) to switch between available networks to ensurecontinuous connectivity. Moreover, the continuous connectivity may bemanaged in order to maximize performance (e.g., reduced latency, optimalsignal strength and reliability) and minimizing cost.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of an area in which example embodimentsmay be practiced. Although FIG. 1 shows only two dimensions (e.g., an Xdirection in the horizontal plane and a Z direction in the verticalplane), it should be appreciated that the devices and componentsillustrated are also configured to communicate and radiate in directionsinto and out of the page (i.e., in the Y direction). It should also benoted that FIG. 1 is not drawn to scale. Thus, it should be appreciatedthat the shapes of cells generated by the base stations for the variousnetwork architectures shown may be exaggerated to some degree tofacilitate ease of description. For example, the ATG base stations ofsome embodiments may be configured to have a much longer horizontalcomponent (e.g., dozens to perhaps more than 100 miles) than verticalcomponent (typically less than about 8 miles or about 45,000 ft) totheir respective cell architectures. Moreover, the satellites areactually much farther distant than represented in FIG. 1 and otherinaccuracies may also exist. Thus, again, FIG. 1 should be appreciatedas a non-limiting tool by which to facilitate discussion of the topicsdescribed herein.

As shown in FIG. 1, a terrestrial network component of the architecturemay include one or more terrestrial base stations 100. The terrestrialbase stations 100 may generally transmit terrestrial network emissions102 to serve various fixed or mobile communication nodes (e.g., UEs) andother wireless communication devices dispersed on the ground. Theterrestrial base stations 100 may be operably coupled to terrestrialbackhaul and network control components 110, which may coordinate and/orcontrol operation of the terrestrial network. The terrestrial backhauland network control components 110 may generally control allocation ofRF spectrum and system resources, and provide routing and controlservices to enable the UEs and other wireless communication devices ofthe terrestrial network to communicate with each other and/or with awide area network (WAN) 115 such as the Internet.

The terrestrial base stations 100 are generally configured to transmitin an omnidirectional pattern around each respective one of theterrestrial base stations in the X-Y plane. However, the terrestrialbase stations 100 generally also include at least some coverage in the Zdirection (i.e., in altitude). A theoretical terrestrial networkaltitude limit 118 is shown in FIG. 1 to mark a limit above which theterrestrial network emissions 102 are generally not reliable forgeneration of sufficient signal strength and continuity to enablecontinuous connectivity to UEs or aircraft. The theoretical terrestrialnetwork altitude limit 118 may be considered to be about 5,000 feet.However, this value may change in certain areas and dependent upon theproximity to one of the terrestrial base stations 100 and the existenceof physical structures in the area.

In some cases, certain ones of the terrestrial base stations 100 may beaugmented with cells that are configured to provide coverage at higherelevations than the theoretical terrestrial network altitude limit 118.However, such cells could also be free standing, or exist at certainspecified geographic locations (e.g., airports or ports associated withurban air mobility options). For example, “sky cells” or verticallyoriented terrestrial network cells 120 that are aimed upwardly may existto augment terrestrial network coverage in the Z direction. Thevertically oriented terrestrial network cells 120 may define cylindricalor conical shaped cells that extend upwardly from the corresponding onesof the terrestrial base stations 100. The vertically orientedterrestrial network cells 120 may therefore extend above the theoreticalterrestrial network altitude limit 118 and also above a theoretical ATGnetwork altitude limit 122, which may be at about 10,000 feet.

The UEs of the terrestrial network may also transmit their ownterrestrial network emissions, which may create the possibility forgeneration of a substantial amount of communication traffic in a groundcommunication layer extending from the ground to theoretical terrestrialnetwork altitude limit 118. Thus, a UE that is configured to operate inthe terrestrial network would not be able to reliably receivecommunications when operating above the theoretical terrestrial networkaltitude limit 118, except in the presence of (and while in the coveragearea defined by) one of the vertically oriented terrestrial networkcells 120.

Meanwhile, a plurality of ATG base stations 130 of an ATG network may bedeployed in the same region to define an ATG coverage area generallyabove the theoretical ATG network altitude limit 122 and up to apredetermined maximum altitude 132 of about 40,000 to 45,000 feet. In anexample embodiment, each of the ATG base stations 130 may generate awedge-shaped cell 134 that extends from a corresponding one of the ATGbase stations 130 toward an area above the horizon in a particulardirection. In this regard, the ATG base stations 130 may each project adirectional radiation pattern that is oriented in a first direction(mainly in the X-Y plane, but expanding in the Z direction as distancefrom the ATG base station 130 increases) to define a wedge shape, withan apex of the wedge originating at the ATG base station 130. The ATGbase stations 130 may be arrayed along the first direction so that thewedge-shaped cells 134 overlap each other to provide continuous coveragebetween the minimum altitude defined at the theoretical ATG networkaltitude limit 122 and the predetermined maximum altitude 132.

The architecture of the ATG network may provide that the wedge-shapedcells 134 may be layered on top each other to define a continuous areawhere coverage can be provided by enabling handovers between adjacentcells (i.e., overlapping on top of each other). When an in-flightaircraft 150 is exclusively a first one of the wedge shaped cells 134,the aircraft 150 may communicate with the first one of the wedge shapedcells 134 using assigned RF spectrum and when the aircraft 150 isexclusively in a second one of the wedge shaped cells 134, the aircraft150 may communicate with the second one of the wedge shaped cells 134using assigned RF spectrum. An area of overlap between the first andsecond ones of the wedge-shaped cells 134 may provide the opportunityfor handover of the aircraft 150 between corresponding first and secondones of the ATG base stations 130, respectively. Accordingly,uninterrupted handover of receivers or communication devices on theaircraft 150 may be provided while passing between coverage areas ofbase stations having overlapping coverage areas as described herein.

In an example embodiment, ATG backhaul and network control components145 may be operably coupled to the first and second ones of the ATG basestations 130. The ATG backhaul and network control components 145 maygenerally control allocation of RF spectrum and system resources, andprovide routing and control services to enable the aircraft 150 and anyUEs and other wireless communication devices thereon to communicate witheach other and/or with the WAN 115 such as the Internet.

Given the curvature of the earth and the distances between base stationsof the ATG network, the layering of the wedge-shaped cells 134 can beenhanced. Additionally, the ATG base stations 130 may be configured tocommunicate with the aircraft 150 (or devices thereon) using relativelysmall, directed beams that are generated using beamforming techniques.The beamforming techniques employed may include the generation ofrelatively narrow and focused beams. Thus, the generation of side lobes(e.g., radiation emissions in directions other than in the direction ofthe main beam) that may cause interference with communications in theground communication layer may be reduced.

Accordingly, the network architecture itself may help to reduce theamount of cross-layer interference. In this regard, the wedge-shapedcell structure focuses energy just above the horizon and leaves a layeron the ground that is usable for terrestrial network operations withoutsignificant interference from the ATG base stations and create aseparate higher altitude layer for ATG network communications.Additionally, the use of directional antennas with beam steering by theATG base stations 130, and antennas with side lobe suppression, mayreduce the amount of interference across these layers.

In some embodiments, the area defined between the minimum altitudedefined at the theoretical ATG network altitude limit 122 and thepredetermined maximum altitude 132 may be referred to as an ATGcommunication layer. As can be appreciated from the descriptions above,and from FIG. 1, the ATG communication layer and the groundcommunication layer may not necessarily overlap, much less be continuouswith each other in elevation or altitude. Thus, a gap region 140 mayexist therebetween. When the aircraft 150 that is located in the ATGcommunication layer, the aircraft 150 may reasonably expect (for its owncommunication equipment and UEs or other communication devices thereon)to receive continuous and quality service from the ATG base stations130. Similarly, when the aircraft 150 is on the ground or otherwise inthe ground communication layer, it may be expected that the aircraft 150(and any communication equipment or UEs thereon) will receive continuousand quality service from the terrestrial base stations 100. However, thegap region 140 may define an area of uncertainty for coverage.

In some cases, the gap region 140 may be bridged by the verticallyoriented terrestrial network cells 120, where such cells exist. Thus, asnoted above, for areas such as airports or urban air mobility ports,where transitions between the ATG communication layer and the groundcommunication layer are expected, the vertically oriented terrestrialnetwork cells 120 may be purposely located to provide an option forconnectivity in the gap region 140. However, in some cases, thevertically oriented terrestrial network cells 120 may not becontinuously provided at all geographical locations. Instead, as notedabove, since the vertically oriented terrestrial network cells 120 maybe concentrated around airports or urban areas there may be other areaswhere no such options for coverage exist. In the absence of (andsometimes in the presence of) the vertically oriented terrestrialnetwork cells 120 there may be a couple of options to extend coverageinto the gap region 140. Moreover, it may also be desirable to definebackup communication options in some of the regions (e.g., the gapregion 140, the ATG communication layer and the ground communicationlayer). The same options may be applicable for gap filling and/orredundancy provision.

In this regard, options for gap filling and/or redundancy provision mayinclude satellite communication networks and either or both of the ATGbase stations 130 and the terrestrial base stations 100 to the extentthey achieve coverage outside expected areas. With respect to satellitecommunication networks, FIG. 1 illustrates a ground station 160 and asatellite 165. However, it should be appreciated that the satellitecommunications network may include multiple instances of each of thesecomponents. The satellite communication network may also includesatellite backhaul and network control components 170 that may beoperably coupled to each of the ground stations 160 and generallycontrol allocation of RF spectrum and system resources, and providerouting and control services to enable the aircraft 150 and any UEs andother wireless communication devices thereon to communicate with eachother and/or with the WAN 115 such as the Internet.

The satellite communication network may, due to its structure of aimingdownward with satellites 165 from positions in orbit over the earth,provide opportunities for backup coverage in the ground communicationlayer, the gap region 140 and the ATG communication layer. Moreover, thesatellite communication network may be a good option for primarycommunication provision in the gap region 140. However, the cost ofsatellite communication network antennas for aircraft are extremely high(often nearly $200,000 and in excess of $300,000 when installation andservice are considered). Additionally, satellite communication networkssuffer excessively from high latency. The latency problem generallymakes satellite communication networks ineffective for applications orservices that require high bandwidth for both uplink and downlinkdirections. In effect, satellite communication networks are useful onlyfor one-way (i.e., downlink) communications where the high latencyinvolved is not impactful. Thus, although satellite communicationnetworks may be a reliable backup communication option, or gap filler,the high latency and cost generally weighs heavily against their usagewhen other options are available.

Meanwhile, as can be appreciated from the descriptions above, and fromFIG. 1, both the ATG base stations 130 and the terrestrial base stations100 may have the ability to provide coverage outside of the normallyexpected regions of coverage associated with the wedge shaped cells 134and the terrestrial network emissions 102 shown in FIG. 1. Thus, theremay be certain areas where coverage can be provided by the ATG basestations 130 via the wedge-shaped cells 134 below the theoretical ATGnetwork altitude limit 122. Similarly, there may be certain areas wherecoverage can be provided by the terrestrial base stations 100 outsidethe nominal coverage areas of the terrestrial network emissions 102, andtherefore above the theoretical terrestrial network altitude limit 118.These areas may be known, or knowable, and may or may not be dependentupon time, season, weather, or other factors. However, in other cases,the areas may be detected in situ and resource allocation of radioresources could be automatically managed to optimize the connectivityprovided to the aircraft 150 and the communications equipment thereon.

Accordingly, it may be desirable to utilize a module or other networkcomponent that enables the aircraft 150 (or at least the communicationequipment (e.g., UEs and on-board equipment) thereon) to transitionbetween available networks in a way that provides a seamlessconnectivity experience for users, such “users” also including onboardsensors and systems. The provision of this level of connectivity overall altitudes that the aircraft 150 may operate within may be referredto as a unified radio solution. The unified radio solution may, in fact,include a single radio that is configurable to be interoperable withmultiple networks (selected for optimal performance), or may includemultiple radios that are capable of working together to achieve the sameresult. For example, the unified radio solution may employ dynamic IPaddressing (or other methods) to transfer a session between networks.Thus, from the perspective of the user, it may appear as though aunified radio can allow the user to connect while on the ground(directly or via on-board WiFi) and maintain the same session as theuser ascends to any altitude and then later descends to land at anotherlocation. Although the unified radio may transition between networks tomaintain the sessions for each user, the user may experience little orno change as a result. Regardless of specific form, the equipment on theaircraft side (or in any communication equipment or UE that is itselfconfigured to operate in the unified radio solution) may be referred toas a unified radio 190. The unified radio 190 is shown on the aircraft150 in FIG. 1 and, in some cases, the unified radio 190 may be able tooperate alone to achieve the results desired. However, in some cases,addition network or on-board components may enhance operations incertain ways that will be described in greater detail below.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of various components of networksthat may be employed in the context of a unified radio solutionaccording to an example embodiment. In this regard, as shown in FIG. 2,a terrestrial network 200, an ATG network 210 and a satellite network220 are each represented.

As shown in FIG. 2, each of the wireless networks may include wirelessaccess points (APs) that include antennas configured for wirelesscommunication. Thus, for example, the terrestrial network 200 mayinclude a first terrestrial AP 202 and a second terrestrial AP 204, eachof which may be base stations, among a plurality of geographicallydistributed base stations that combine to define the coverage area forthe terrestrial network 200. The first and second terrestrial APs 202and 204 may each be examples of the terrestrial base stations 100 ofFIG. 1. Thus, one, both or neither of the first and second terrestrialAPs 202 and 204 may be configured to provide the vertically orientedterrestrial network cells 120 mentioned above in reference to FIG. 1.The first and second terrestrial APs 202 and 204 may each be incommunication with the terrestrial network 200 via a gateway (GTW)device 206. The terrestrial network 200 may further be in communicationwith a wide area network such as the Internet 115, Virtual PrivateNetworks (VPNs) or other communication networks. In some embodiments,the terrestrial network 200 may include or otherwise be coupled to apacket-switched core or other telecommunications network. Thus, forexample, the terrestrial network 200 may be a cellular telephone network(e.g., a 4G, 5G, LTE or other such network).

The ATG network 210 may similarly include a first ATG AP 212 and asecond ATG AP 214, each of which may be base stations, among a pluralityof geographically distributed base stations that combine to define thecoverage area for the ATG network 210. The first and second ATG APs 212and 214 may each be examples of the ATG base stations 130 of FIG. 1. Thefirst and second ATG APs 212 and 214 may each be in communication withthe ATG network 210 via a GTW device 216. The ATG network 210 may alsobe in communication with a wide area network such as the Internet 115,VPNs or other communication networks. In some embodiments, the ATGnetwork 210 may also include or otherwise be coupled to apacket-switched core or other telecommunications network. Thus, forexample, the ATG network 210 may be a network that is configured toprovide wireless communication to airborne assets and may employ 4G, 5G,LTE and/or other proprietary technologies.

The satellite network 220 may include one or more ground stations (e.g.,ground station 160 of FIG. 1) and one or more satellite access points222 (e.g., satellite 165 of FIG. 1). The satellite network 220 mayemploy Ka band, Ku band, or any other suitable satellitefrequencies/technologies to provide wireless voice and datacommunication services to the aircraft 150, and more specifically to theunified radio 190 on the aircraft 150.

As shown in FIG. 2, a planning module 250 may be disposed at a locationaccessible to one or more of the networks and/or the unified radio 190.The planning module 250 may be configured to gather, store and/or updateinformation that may be useable by the unified radio 190 and/or othernetwork components in order to provide the unified radio solutiondescribed herein. The planning module 250 may, in some cases, be part ofa specific one of the networks or may be accessible to any one of thenetworks and devices operably coupled thereto via the Internet 115. Instill other cases, the planning module 250 may be disposed at theaircraft 150, or at another device (e.g., a UE) implementing the unifiedradio 190.

An example structure for the unified radio 190 of an example embodimentis shown in the block diagram of FIG. 3. In this regard, as shown inFIG. 3, the unified radio 190 may include processing circuitry 310configured to perform data processing, control function execution and/orother processing and management services according to an exampleembodiment of the present invention. In some embodiments, the processingcircuitry 310 may be embodied as a chip or chip set. In other words, theprocessing circuitry 310 may comprise one or more physical packages(e.g., chips) including materials, components and/or wires on astructural assembly (e.g., a baseboard). The structural assembly mayprovide physical strength, conservation of size, and/or limitation ofelectrical interaction for component circuitry included thereon. Theprocessing circuitry 310 may therefore, in some cases, be configured toimplement an embodiment of the present invention on a single chip or asa single “system on a chip.” As such, in some cases, a chip or chipsetmay constitute means for performing one or more operations for providingthe functionalities described herein.

In an example embodiment, the processing circuitry 310 may include oneor more instances of a processor 312 and memory 314 that may be incommunication with or otherwise control a device interface 320. As such,the processing circuitry 310 may be embodied as a circuit chip (e.g., anintegrated circuit chip) configured (e.g., with hardware, software or acombination of hardware and software) to perform operations describedherein. However, in some embodiments, the processing circuitry 310 maybe embodied as a portion of an on-board computer. In some embodiments,the processing circuitry 310 may communicate with various components,entities, systems and/or sensors of the aircraft 150, e.g., via thedevice interface 320. Thus, for example, the processing circuitry 310may communicate with a sensor network 324 or other onboard systems 325of the aircraft 150 to receive altitude information, locationinformation (e.g., GPS coordinates, latitude/longitude, etc.), pitch androll information, and/or the like. The processing circuitry 310 may alsocommunicate with an antenna assembly 328 to control the frequency and/ordirection at which the antenna assembly 328 is configured to operate.Moreover, at least some of the information gathered or received from thesensor network 324 and/or the onboard systems 325 may be communicatedoff the aircraft 150 in real time due to the robust nature of the returnlink capability of the aircraft 150. Effectively, the processingcircuitry 310 could act as a hub for collection and transmission of dataregarding onboard systems or condictions to the ground. Thus, anairborne internet of things (TOT) network may be created and datacommunicated off the aircraft 150 may either live streamed ortransmitted as bandwidth becomes available based on other communicationloading. Some data (e.g., low priority data) could be stored (e.g., inthe memory 314) for transmission off the aircraft 150 when the aircraft150 has landed. However, higher priority information may be transmittedwhile inflight, and highest priority infomraiton may be live streamedoff the aircraft 150 via the return link.

The device interface 320 may include one or more interface mechanismsfor enabling communication with other devices (e.g., modules, entities,sensors and/or other components of the aircraft 150). In some cases, thedevice interface 320 may be any means such as a device or circuitryembodied in either hardware, or a combination of hardware and softwarethat is configured to receive and/or transmit data from/to modules,entities, sensors and/or other components of the aircraft 150 that arein communication with the processing circuitry 310. In this regard, forexample, the device interface 320 may be configured to operably couplethe processing circuitry 310 to a network monitor 330, a networkselector 340 and/or a session manager 350.

The processor 312 may be embodied in a number of different ways. Forexample, the processor 312 may be embodied as various processing meanssuch as one or more of a microprocessor or other processing element, acoprocessor, a controller or various other computing or processingdevices including integrated circuits such as, for example, an ASIC(application specific integrated circuit), an FPGA (field programmablegate array), or the like. In an example embodiment, the processor 312may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory 314 orotherwise accessible to the processor 312. As such, whether configuredby hardware or by a combination of hardware and software, the processor312 may represent an entity (e.g., physically embodied in circuitry—inthe form of processing circuitry 310) capable of performing operationsaccording to embodiments of the present invention while configuredaccordingly. Thus, for example, when the processor 312 is embodied as anASIC, FPGA or the like, the processor 312 may be specifically configuredhardware for conducting the operations described herein. Alternatively,as another example, when the processor 312 is embodied as an executor ofsoftware instructions, the instructions may specifically configure theprocessor 312 to perform the operations described herein.

In an example embodiment, the processor 312 (or the processing circuitry310) may be embodied as, include or otherwise control the operation ofthe network monitor 330, the network selector 340 and/or the sessionmanager 350 based on inputs received by the processing circuitry 310indicative of aircraft 150 altitude, location and/or the like. As such,in some embodiments, the processor 312 (or the processing circuitry 310)may be said to cause each of the operations described in connection withthe network monitor 330, the network selector 340 and/or the sessionmanager 350. The processor 312 may also control the antenna assembly 328to tune the antenna assembly 328 to select a network identified by thenetwork selector 340 in relation to adjustments to be made to antennaarrays to undertake the corresponding functionalities relating to arrayconfiguration based on execution of instructions or algorithmsconfiguring the processor 312 (or processing circuitry 310) accordingly.In particular, the instructions may include instructions for processing3D position information (e.g., altitude and location) the aircraft 150(including orientation) in order to instruct an antenna array of theantenna assembly 328 to orient a beam or otherwise tune toward afrequency and/or a direction that will facilitate establishing acommunication link between the antenna array and one of the APs of aselected one of the networks of FIGS. 1 and 2.

In an exemplary embodiment, the memory 314 may include one or morenon-transitory memory devices such as, for example, volatile and/ornon-volatile memory that may be either fixed or removable. The memory314 may be configured to store information, data, applications,instructions or the like for enabling the processing circuitry 310 tocarry out various functions in accordance with exemplary embodiments ofthe present invention. For example, the memory 314 could be configuredto buffer input data for processing by the processor 312. Additionallyor alternatively, the memory 314 could be configured to storeinstructions for execution by the processor 312. As yet anotheralternative, the memory 314 may include one or more databases that maystore a variety of data sets responsive to input sensors and components.Among the contents of the memory 314, applications and/or instructionsmay be stored for execution by the processor 312 in order to carry outthe functionality associated with each respectiveapplication/instruction. In some cases, the applications may includeinstructions for providing inputs to control operation of the antennaassembly 328 and/or the network monitor 330, the network selector 340and/or the session manager 350 as described herein. In an exampleembodiment, the memory 314 may store or include information from theplanning module 250, or the planning module 250 may be implemented atthe aircraft 150 by storing instructions/code associated therewith inthe memory 314 for execution at the processor 312. Otherwise, it shouldbe appreciated that if the planning module 250 is physically locatedelsewhere in the system, the planning module 250 may be understood toinclude components similar in function and/or form to the processingcircuitry 310, processor 312 and/or memory 314 described above.

The network monitor 330 may be configured to monitor network parametersfor a currently serving network (i.e., a network with at least oneactive session with the unified radio 190 or devices served thereby),and from time-to-time at least one other, non-serving network (i.e., anetwork with which the unified radio 190 is configurable to communicate,but not actively conducting a session with presently). However, in somecases, the network monitor 330 may be configured to monitor networkparameters for all available networks (e.g., the terrestrial network200, the ATG network 210 and the satellite network 220). The networkparameters monitored may include signal strength, a measure ofinterference levels, signal to noise ratio, and peak and/or averagevalues of the preceding parameters over a given period of time. Thenetwork monitor 330 may, in some cases, work with the antenna assembly328 configured to include an antenna array that can be configured toperiodically or continuously sniff or otherwise monitor the parametersof the non-serving network. In embodiments where the monitoring is notcontinuous, a predefined period, or a series of event-based stimuli maybe used to trigger the measurement of the network parameters. Theevent-based stimuli may include various altitude thresholds being passedor approached, or certain rates of altitude change being encountered, orthe significance and priority of data being transmitted. In either case,the direction (ascending vs. descending) of altitude change may also beconsidered. Thus, for example, when the theoretical terrestrial networkaltitude limit 118 is being approached from above, it may be assumedthat a switch to the terrestrial network 200 may soon be necessary. Theproximity to the theoretical terrestrial network altitude limit 118 orrate of approach to the theoretical terrestrial network altitude limit118 may therefore trigger a check of the network parameters of theterrestrial network 200 to determine if a switch from the ATG network210 (which may be assumed to be the currently serving network for atleast part of the approach). Meanwhile, if the direction of altitudechange is reversed, and the aircraft 150 is ascending, the terrestrialnetwork 200 may be the currently serving network and the ATG network 210may be the non-serving network whose network parameters are measuredresponsive to approach to the theoretical terrestrial network altitudelimit 118 in the ascending direction.

A similar situation may exist for the theoretical ATG network altitudelimit 122. For example, proximity to the theoretical ATG networkaltitude limit 122 or rate of approach to the theoretical ATG networkaltitude limit 122 in the descending direction may trigger a check ofthe network parameters of the terrestrial network 200 to determine if aswitch from the ATG network 210 (which may be assumed to be thecurrently serving network for at least part of the descent) iswarranted. Meanwhile, if the direction of altitude change is reversed,and the aircraft 150 is ascending, the terrestrial network 200 may bethe currently serving network and the ATG network 210 may be thenon-serving network whose network parameters are measured responsive toapproach to the theoretical ATG network altitude limit 122 in theascending direction.

In some cases, frequency of monitoring may increase based on rate ofascent/descent or the current altitude. For example, when the aircraft150 is in the gap region 140, the rate or frequency of monitoring may bemaximized until the aircraft 150 steadies at altitude in a layer servedby the terrestrial network 200 or the ATG network 210, respectively.Moreover, it should be understood that the network parameters of thesatellite network 220 may be monitored additionally or alternatively inany of the situations described above.

When the network parameters for the non-serving network are measured,the network parameters may be communicated to the network selector 340(along with network parameters for the currently serving network). Thenetwork selector 340 may be configured to employ network selectioncriteria to make a determination as to which network (i.e., theterrestrial network 200, the ATG network 210, or the satellite network220) should be used for communication by the unified radio 190. In somecases, the same periodicity, frequency or stimuli used for measuringnetwork parameters may be used to trigger network selection at thenetwork selector 340. Thus, the network monitor 330 may send networkparameter information

After the determination is made, the network selector 340 may providedata on network parameters to the network selector 340, and the networkselector 340 may use such information (with or without historicalinformation) to determine a selection indication that is used tocommunicate to the antenna assembly 328 (e.g., by the processingcircuitry 310) to configure an antenna array to switch to the networkthat has been selected as the new currently serving network. The priorcurrently serving network may then become the non-serving network, orone of the non-serving networks. Thus, for example, if the unified radio190 is serving UEs or other equipment on-board the aircraft 150 via acabin wireless access point (CWAP) 360, the unified radio 190 couldinitially be serving the UEs content via the terrestrial network 200until a certain altitude is reached at which a transition to the ATGnetwork 210 becomes possible and/or advisable. The network monitor 330may provide network parameters for the terrestrial network 200 and theATG network 210 to the network selector 340, and the network selector340 may decide to tune an antenna array of the antenna assembly 328 toswitch serving networks to the ATG network 210. The UEs would thenreceive content from the ATG network 210 instead of via the terrestrialnetwork 200 responsive to the switch.

In an example embodiment, the session manager 350 may be configured tomaintain each session that is being provided via the unified radio 190.Thus, for example, one or more sessions that are being maintained withthe Internet 115 via the terrestrial network 200 may be transitioned tobeing maintained via the ATG network 210. The session manager 350 mayemploy dynamic IP addressing or any other suitable method to maintainthe session(s) through the network transition.

Thus, in some example embodiments, the unified radio 190 may employ thenetwork monitor 330, the network selector 340 and/or the session manager350 to monitor various conditions associated with transitioning betweenaltitude layers in order to manage the available network assets tomaximize the quality of the user experience. As such, for example, theunified radio 190 may act as an agile radio that has the capability toswitch between multiple radio modalities in an intelligent way. Theintelligence could be based on prioritizing networks based on location,altitude, the type of media or data (e.g., the type of service orapplication) or combinations thereof. Moreover, the intelligence couldoperate in a real time manner, where measurements are taken in real timeand decisions are made contemporaneously (or nearly contemporaneously)with the measurements. However, in some cases, the addition of theplanning module 250 may make is possible to implement the intelligencebased either entirely or in part on historical information.

As such, the unified radio 190 (particularly via operation of thenetwork selector 340) may employ connectivity assurance during an entireroute from takeoff (and before takeoff) to landing (and after landing),so that the entire time communications equipment (e.g., a user device(or UE) or on-board communications equipment) of the aircraft 150 areoperational on the aircraft 150, the communications equipment can access(via the CWAP 360 or directly), a network for connectivity purposes.Moreover, the network selector 340 may ensure that the best network (interms of cost, signal strength, reliability, and/or suitability for agiven media type) is made available to the communications equipment atall times. Connectivity assurance may be accomplished by real timechannel (e.g., frequency) monitoring to select the best channel at eachgiven altitude band (or at each moment in time). However, as notedabove, historical information can also be used to ensure connectivityassurance.

In this regard, the planning module 250 may include historicalinformation regarding measurements made by the network monitor 330 ofeach unified radio within a system generally employing exampleembodiments. For example, every aircraft 150 having a unified radio 190thereon may communicate network parameters and corresponding locationinformation (e.g., latitude/longitude) and altitude information so thata table or other data repository for correlating the network parametersmeasured for each network at teach respective location and altitude withthe time/date of such measurement can be accomplished. Where largecapacity for storage is possible, all such data may be stored. However,where smaller capacity for storage is available, the data may beaveraged or maintained based on its age (i.e., older data may beexpunged to make room for newer data on a circular basis). As such, theplanning module 250 may effectively define a 3D picture of theperformance achieved by each network at each respective location andaltitude over which aircraft have flown during the measurementperiod(s). Moreover, in some cases, this data may be used to generate a3D network performance map showing, for each respective network, arating of network performance that by location and altitude for giventimes or time ranges.

In some cases, this historical information may be used to, or mayinclude, a designation of a primary network that is to be given toppriority for use in each given location and/or altitude band. Theplanning module 250 may therefore include a listing of primary networksfor each location and altitude. In some cases, the planning module 250may further rank other networks at each respective location and altitudeas well, and selection of networks may be made in rank order dependentupon location and altitude and indications of network availability for acurrently serving network. For example, an aircraft in a given locationmay be ascending from the ground to a cruise altitude of 38,000 feet. Atthe given location, the terrestrial network 200 may be designated as theprimary network below 5,000 feet, and the ATG network 210 may bedesignated as the primary network above 10,000 feet. If the terrestrialbase stations at the given location are configured to provide verticallyoriented terrestrial network cells 120 with or without verticalbeamforming, the terrestrial network 200 may also be designated as theprimary network in the gap region between 5,000 feet and 10,000 feet inaltitude. However, if the terrestrial base stations at the givenlocation are not configured to include vertically oriented terrestrialnetwork cells 120 with or without vertical beamforming, the satellitenetwork 220 may be designated as the primary network in the gap regionunless historical data shows reliable performance for either (or both)of the terrestrial network 200 and the ATG network 210 in the gap regionin which case whichever one has the superior network parameters may bedesignated as the primary network.

In some cases, the unified radio 190 may access (via the planning module250) the information indicating the primary network for each altitudeand location and may select the primary network to be the currentlyserving network accordingly. If the network monitor 330 makesmeasurements that enable the network selector 340 to determine that theprimary network is either not available, is about to change (e.g., basedon a location and/or altitude change), or is experiencing poorerperformance than another available option, the network selector 340 mayinitiate a change to another network (i.e., one of the non-servingnetworks). The selected non-serving network may then be shifted tobecome a new currently serving network and the currently serving networkbefore the shift will then transition to be a non-serving network. Asnoted above, the shift may be made based on the rank order of networksafter the primary network using information from the planning module250. In such an example, the shift will have been made based onhistorical information that was used to generate the network rank order.However, in other cases, the shift may be made based on more current(even real time) network performance metrics. Thus, the network selector340 may work based on current information, historical information, or acombination thereof.

Thus, network selection criteria may include rank ordering of networksbased on historical performance-related information and/or rank orderingof networks based on current or real-time information. Network selectioncriteria may also include ranking, scoring, or otherwise comparingnetwork performance characteristics for specific media types in order toensure, for example, that if media types that are not tolerant tolatency are being used, a latency-based criteria can be considered. Assuch, for example, an indication of latency tolerance associated withthe application and service requirements may be used to avoid using thesatellite network 220 (or at least rank the satellite network 220 low)when services, applications, prioritized data or media types (e.g., andthe data transfer requirements that are associated with respectivedifferent media types) are being employed for sessions that are activeand those services, applications or media types have a low latencytolerance. In an example embodiment, the network selector 340 may routemessage traffic via networks based on priority rankings. For example, insome cases, consideration may be given to forward and reverse linkcapabilities for each respective available network, and suchcapabilities may be compared to the priority assigned to certain messagetraffic. The priority could be based on safety or regulatoryconsiderations, or based on subscription service levels in variousdifferent embodiments. Application requirements may also impact priorityrankings in some cases. Links with a particular network may then begenerally maintained until an exceedance event occurs that dictates anetwork change. Network changes may be made responsive to periods (ofany suitable length) of parallel use of channels on the same ordifferent networks in order to maintain continuity.

Cost may also be a consideration employed by the network selector 340 insome cases. For example, the unified radio 190 may have a “home network”in which the unified radio 190 is primarily services and/or maintained.The unified radio 190 may therefore have a subscriber identity module(SIM) card that has been provided by the home network in order tosecurely store subscriber identity information (e.g., an internationalmobile subscriber identity (IMSI) number) and corresponding keys thatenable identification and authentication of the unified radio 190 as anauthorized subscriber for the home network. As such, the SIM card, whichmay be an integrated circuit specific to the home network, may functionas a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) that includes uniqueinformation for enabling the unified radio 190 to operate on the homenetwork. The unified radio 190 may also include a SIM card for othernetworks, which may be considered as “guest networks” where the unifiedradio 190 can operate, due to the fact that the unified radio 190 hasthe corresponding SIM cards, and can therefore be identified andauthenticated on each respective network. However, it may be the casethat the cost of operating on the home network is less than the cost ofoperating on the guest networks. Thus, the unified radio 190 mayprioritize the home network whenever the home network is available (atleast above a threshold level of quality or signal strength). When costis considered by the network selector 340, real time measurements abovethe threshold level of quality for the home network may trigger a shiftto the home network (regardless of which network is otherwise primary ina given location/altitude). However, in other cases, no preference couldbe given to any network as a home network, or to the home network over anetwork that is otherwise listed as the primary network for a givenlocation and altitude.

The planning module 250 may, in some cases, be used to define aconnectivity assurance plan for a given flight plan, route ortrajectory. In this regard, in addition to or as an alternative todefining a primary network for each altitude band and/or location, theplanning module 250 may (based on historical information) prescribe orrecommend a particular network to be used at every altitude and/orlocation for the given flight plan, route or trajectory. Theconnectivity assurance plan may be given to the network selector 340 tocause the network selector 340 to make network selections when location,time or altitude triggers are reached according to the connectivityassurance plan. This may, in some cases, be augmented by real timeinformation (on network performance or availability), or the real timeinformation may simply confirm availability of the networks identifiedas primary (or to be selected) for any particular portion of the givenflight plan, route or trajectory.

Thus, for example, the connectivity assurance plan may define suggestedlocations at which to achieve a particular altitude (including rates ofascent or descent and when to begin such ascending or descendingtrajectories) in order maintain optimal connectivity. Moreover, theplanning module 250 may be configured to provide guidance (or a warning)regarding connectivity impacts of remaining on a given trajectory.Guidance communications may be provided to the user to advise the userof when connectivity is expected to be restored (is connectivity islost), or for how long connectivity is expected to be good or sufficienton a given trajectory. In some cases, the guidance communications may bespecific to a media type or application being launched, so that the usercan understand the likely impact on user experience of continuing on thecurrent trajectory or of the current flight plan. Accordingly, forexample, the user may launch a real time connectivity application (suchas a video conference or chat application). The planning module 250 maybe able to determine, based on the flight path or trajectory, how longthis type of application will be supported effectively, and inform theuser of the same. As such, if the aircraft 150 is thirty minutes awayfrom an area where the satellite network 220 is the primary network, andwill be the primary network for 10 minutes, the planning module 250 maycommunicate to the user that a period of very high latency (i.e., whenthe satellite network 220 provides coverage) will be experienced for a10 minute window starting in about 30 minutes based on the currentflight plan. The user or system may manage the decision on engaging inthe application accordingly. In some cases where a particularcommunication channel or frequency is used for aircraft at a givenaltitude or altitude band, the communication channel or frequency may beused as a differentiator or method by which to manage or track altitude.For example, if a particular frequency or channel is used at an altitudeof 8,000 feet, in a given area, and a different channel or frequency isused at 6,000 feet in the same area, aircraft traveling at the differentrespective altitudes may be differentiated from each other based on thechannel on which they communicate. Connectivity assurance plans maytherefore direct aircraft to achieve a given altitude and then switch tothe channel corresponding to the altitude. The altitude bands could thenbe formed as directional corridors so that traffic patterns can bedefined based on altitude and direction and may be associated withspecific frequencies in accordance with connectivity assurance plans.

The ability of the unified radio 190 to operate effectively may, to somedegree, and in some circumstances, depend on the ability of the aircraft150 (or devices thereon) to determine their location and altitudeaccurately. Although GPS or GNSS are certainly reliable mechanisms bywhich to determine the flight path and/or location/altitude of theaircraft 150, other methods may also be employed. For example, areanavigation (RNAV) may be employed to continuously determine aircraftposition. RNAV navigational performance (RNP-RNAV), which may combineaccurate two-dimensional (e.g., LNAV) and three dimensional (e.g., VNAV)positions to determine an accurate position and tracking information forthe aircraft 150. ADS-B and PNT (position, navigation and timing) areother examples of mechanisms that may be used for determining altitudeand location accurately.

As mentioned above, the unified radio 190 may be configured to operateas a multimodal radio that can intelligently perform network selectionbased on any or all of location, altitude, network parameters (currentand/or historical), cost, and, in some cases, media type. In some cases,the antenna assembly 328 may include one or more antenna arrays that areconfigurable to enable a respective antenna array to communicate (formonitoring and/or establishment of one or more sessions) with basestations of a corresponding one of the networks. In an exampleembodiment, the antenna arrays may include one or more arraysconfigurable as phased arrays to tune to specific selected frequenciesand/or to specific selected directions/locations (via either or bothhorizontal and vertical beamforming) to enable connections to thelocations of base stations of one of the networks. However, in othercases, the antenna arrays may include physical antennas or antennaelements that are tuned or otherwise configured specific to respectiveones of the networks. FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of one suchantenna assembly 328. In this regard, the antenna assembly 328 mayinclude a first antenna array 400, which may include one or more antennaelements that may be mechanically and/or electrically steered and/ortuned to configure the first antenna array 400 to connect to terrestrialbase stations 100 of the terrestrial network 200. The antenna assembly328 may further include a second antenna array 410, which may includeone or more antenna elements that may be mechanically and/orelectrically steered and/or tuned to configure the second antenna array410 to connect to ATG base stations 130 of the ATG network 220. Theantenna assembly 328 may also include a third antenna array 420, whichmay include one or more antenna elements that may be mechanically and/orelectrically steered and/or tuned to configure the third antenna array420 to connect to satellites 164 of the satellite network 220. In someembodiments, such as for large airframes, the receive elements mayoptionally each be coupled to a remote radio head 430 via one ormultiple cables. However, if no remote radio head is employed, theunified radio 190 itself could perform functions described herein inassociation with the remote radio head. In some cases, the remote radiohead 430 may be distributed in more than one physical location (as shownby distributed elements (DEs) 432 and 434. The remote radio head 430 maythen be coupled (e.g., via fiber optic or other cables) to the unifiedradio 190 at which typical modulation, demodulation and other radiofunctions are conducted. The transmit element 406 may also be coupled tothe base radio 440.

In an example embodiment, the remote radio head 430 may provide forswitching among the receive antennas. In examples in which vertical beamsteering of the array panels is conducted, four or more cables may beused to connect each of the left side panel element 402 and the rightside panel element 404 to the remote radio head 430. The remote radiohead 430 may include one or more cavity filters corresponding to thenumber of antenna outputs provided to the remote radio head 430. Incases in which vertical beam steering is conducted with a mechanicaldevice adjusting the electrical tilt of the arrays, only one cable andcavity filter, bulk acoustic wave (BAW) filter, surface acoustic wave(SAW) filter, circulator or any other suitable filter may be employedfor each array. In some cases, the remote radio head 430 could beeliminated and filters, low noise amplifier (LNA) and switchingcomponents may be integrated into antenna housings or in other housingsproximate to the antennas. Switching components (whether part of orexternal to the remote radio head 430) would be used to select the bestantenna for receipt or transmission of any given signal based onlocation of the target or source, the signal strength of the basestations, and the level of interference from surrounding base stations.The antenna selection, then, has multiple triggers designed to maximizethe signal to interference plus noise ratio.

FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of one method that may be associatedwith an example embodiment as described above. From a technicalperspective, the processing circuitry 310 described above may be used tosupport some or all of the operations described in FIG. 5. As such, theplatform described in FIGS. 1-3 may be used to facilitate theimplementation of several computer program and/or networkcommunication-based interactions. As an example, FIG. 5 is a flowchartof a method and program product according to an example embodiment ofthe invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart,and combinations of blocks in the flowchart, may be implemented byvarious means, such as hardware, firmware, processor, circuitry and/orother device associated with execution of software including one or morecomputer program instructions. For example, one or more of theprocedures described above may be embodied by computer programinstructions. In this regard, the computer program instructions whichembody the procedures described above may be stored by a memory deviceof a device (e.g., the processing circuitry 310, and/or the like) andexecuted by a processor in the device. As will be appreciated, any suchcomputer program instructions may be loaded onto a computer or otherprogrammable apparatus (e.g., hardware) to produce a machine, such thatthe instructions which execute on the computer or other programmableapparatus create means for implementing the functions specified in theflowchart block(s). These computer program instructions may also bestored in a computer-readable memory that may direct a computer or otherprogrammable apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that theinstructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an articleof manufacture which implements the functions specified in the flowchartblock(s). The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer or other programmable apparatus to cause a series of operationsto be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus toproduce a computer-implemented process such that the instructions whichexecute on the computer or other programmable apparatus implement thefunctions specified in the flowchart block(s).

Accordingly, blocks of the flowchart support combinations of means forperforming the specified functions and combinations of operations forperforming the specified functions. It will also be understood that oneor more blocks of the flowchart, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based computersystems which perform the specified functions, or combinations ofspecial purpose hardware and computer instructions.

In this regard, a method according to one embodiment of the invention,as shown in FIG. 5, may include determining a position of an aircraft(e.g., in location over ground and in altitude) at operation 500. Themethod may further include configuring an antenna assembly tocommunicate with a selected (currently serving) network based on theposition of the aircraft at operation 510. Network performance of theselected network and at least one other (non-selected or non-serving)network may then be monitored at operation 520. At operation 530, theantenna assembly may be configured to communicate with the non-selectednetwork based on selection criteria (as discussed above).

Thus, in accordance with an example embodiment, a unified radio systemfor providing wireless communication to a communication device on anaircraft regardless of aircraft altitude may be provided. The unifiedradio system may include a terrestrial network including a plurality ofterrestrial base stations configured to communicate primarily in aground communication layer below a first altitude, an ATG networkincluding a plurality of ATG base stations configured to communicateprimarily in an ATG communication layer above a second altitude,air-to-air relays and an aircraft with an onboard antenna assembly and aunified radio. The unified radio may be configured to monitor networkparameters of the terrestrial network and the ATG network and switchbetween a currently serving network and a non-serving network based onthe network parameters.

In some embodiments, the system may include additional, optionalfeatures, and/or the features described above may be modified oraugmented. Some examples of modifications, optional features andaugmentations are described below. It should be appreciated that themodifications, optional features and augmentations may each be addedalone, or they may be added cumulatively in any desirable combination.In an example embodiment, the unified radio may be configured toinstruct a switch from the currently serving network to the non-servingnetwork based on altitude of the aircraft. In an example embodiment, thesystem may further include a planning module defining a primary networkbased on altitude and location. The unified radio may be configured toinstruct the switch from the currently serving network to thenon-serving network based on the altitude of the aircraft when thenon-serving network is identified as the primary network for a currentlocation of the aircraft. In some cases, the unified radio may beconfigured to define a primary network in each of a plurality ofcommunication zones including the ground communication layer, the ATGcommunication layer, and a gap region disposed between the first andsecond altitudes. In an example embodiment, the unified radio isconfigured to select the primary network as the currently servingnetwork in each respective one of the ground communication layer, theATG communication layer, and the gap region. In some cases, the antennaassembly may include an antenna array configured to monitor thenon-serving network. In response to network parameters of thenon-serving network meeting a network selection criteria, the unifiedradio may be configured to switch to the non-serving network as a newcurrently serving network. In an example embodiment, the system mayfurther include a satellite network. The unified radio may be configuredto monitor network parameters of each of the terrestrial network, theATG network and the satellite network. The unified radio may beconfigured to select one of the terrestrial networks, the ATG networkand the satellite network to be a new currently serving network inresponse to measured network parameters of the non-serving networkmeeting a network selection criteria relative to measured networkparameters of the currently serving network. In some cases, the unifiedradio may be configured to maintain each session during a switch fromthe currently serving network to the non-serving network. In an exampleembodiment, a rate of monitoring the non-serving network may be changedbased on or in accordance with a proximity of the aircraft to the firstaltitude or the second altitude or based on or in accordance with a rateof ascent or descent of the aircraft. In some cases, the unified radiomay be configured to monitor network parameters of each of theterrestrial network and the ATG network and monitor application andservice requirements associated with sessions supported by the currentlyserving network. The unified radio may be configured to select a switchto the non-serving network based on both the network parameters andlatency tolerance associated with the application and servicerequirements.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forthherein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which theseinventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in theforegoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is tobe understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specificembodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments areintended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.Moreover, although the foregoing descriptions and the associateddrawings describe exemplary embodiments in the context of certainexemplary combinations of elements and/or functions, it should beappreciated that different combinations of elements and/or functions maybe provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scopeof the appended claims. In this regard, for example, differentcombinations of elements and/or functions than those explicitlydescribed above are also contemplated as may be set forth in some of theappended claims. In cases where advantages, benefits or solutions toproblems are described herein, it should be appreciated that suchadvantages, benefits and/or solutions may be applicable to some exampleembodiments, but not necessarily all example embodiments. Thus, anyadvantages, benefits or solutions described herein should not be thoughtof as being critical, required or essential to all embodiments or tothat which is claimed herein. Although specific terms are employedherein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and notfor purposes of limitation.

What is claimed is:
 1. A unified radio system for providing wirelesscommunication to a communication device on an aircraft regardless ofaircraft altitude, the system comprising: a terrestrial networkcomprising a plurality of terrestrial base stations configured tocommunicate primarily in a ground communication layer below a firstaltitude; an air-to-ground (ATG) network comprising a plurality of ATGbase stations configured to communicate primarily in an ATGcommunication layer above a second altitude; an air-to-air mesh networkfor data relays through connected aircraft, and an aircraft with anonboard antenna assembly and a unified radio; wherein the unified radiois configured to monitor network parameters of the terrestrial network,the ATG network and the ATA network and switch between a currentlyserving network and a non-serving network based on the networkparameters.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the unified radio isconfigured to instruct a switch from the currently serving network tothe non-serving network based on altitude of the aircraft.
 3. The systemof claim 2, further comprising a planning module defining a primarynetwork based on altitude and location, and wherein the unified radio isconfigured to instruct the switch from the currently serving network tothe non-serving network based on the altitude of the aircraft when thenon-serving network is identified as the primary network for a currentlocation of the aircraft.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the unifiedradio is configured to define a primary network in each of a pluralityof communication zones including the ground communication layer, the ATGcommunication layer, and a gap region disposed between the first andsecond altitudes.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the unified radio isconfigured to select the primary network as the currently servingnetwork in each respective one of the ground communication layer, theATG communication layer, and the gap region.
 6. The system of claim 5,wherein the antenna assembly comprises an antenna array configured tomonitor the non-serving network, and wherein, in response to networkparameters of the non-serving network meeting a network selectioncriteria, the unified radio is configured to switch to the non-servingnetwork as a new currently serving network.
 7. The system of claim 5,further comprising a satellite network, wherein the unified radio isconfigured to monitor network parameters of each of the terrestrialnetwork, the ATG network and the satellite network, and wherein theunified radio is configured to select one of the terrestrial network,the ATG network and the satellite network to be a new currently servingnetwork in response to measured network parameters of the non-servingnetwork meeting a network selection criteria relative to measurednetwork parameters of the currently serving network.
 8. The system ofclaim 7, wherein a rate of monitoring the non-serving network changeswith a rate of ascent or descent of the aircraft.
 9. The system of claim7, wherein a rate of monitoring the non-serving network changes with aproximity of the aircraft to the first altitude or the second altitude.10. The system of claim 1, wherein the unified radio is configured tomaintain each session during a switch from the currently serving networkto the non-serving network.
 11. The system of claim 1, wherein theunified radio is configured to monitor network parameters of each of theterrestrial network and the ATG network, and monitor application andservice requirements associated with sessions supported by the currentlyserving network, and wherein the unified radio is configured to select aswitch to the non-serving network based on both the network parametersand latency tolerance associated with the application and servicerequirements.
 12. A unified radio for providing wireless communicationto a communication device on an aircraft regardless of aircraftaltitude, the unified radio comprising: an antenna assembly configurableto facilitate communication with: a terrestrial network comprising aplurality of terrestrial base stations configured to communicateprimarily in a ground communication layer below a first altitude; and anair-to-ground (ATG) network comprising a plurality of ATG base stationsconfigured to communicate primarily in an ATG communication layer abovea second altitude; and processing circuitry configured to monitornetwork parameters of the terrestrial network and the ATG network andswitch between a currently serving network and a non-serving networkbased on the network parameters.
 13. The unified radio of claim 12,wherein the processing circuitry is configured to instruct a switch fromthe currently serving network to the non-serving network based onaltitude of the aircraft.
 14. The unified radio of claim 13, furthercomprising a planning module defining a primary network based onaltitude and location, and wherein the processing circuitry isconfigured to instruct the switch from the currently serving network tothe non-serving network based on the altitude of the aircraft when thenon-serving network is identified as the primary network for a currentlocation of the aircraft.
 15. The unified radio of claim 12, wherein theprocessing circuitry is configured to define a primary network in eachof a plurality of communication zones including the ground communicationlayer, the ATG communication layer, and a gap region disposed betweenthe first and second altitudes.
 16. The unified radio of claim 15,wherein the processing circuitry is configured to select the primarynetwork as the currently serving network in each respective one of theground communication layer, the ATG communication layer, and the gapregion.
 17. The unified radio of claim 16, wherein the antenna assemblycomprises an antenna array configured to monitor the non-servingnetwork, and wherein, in response to network parameters of thenon-serving network meeting a network selection criteria, the unifiedradio is configured to switch to the non-serving network as a newcurrently serving network.
 18. The unified radio of claim 5, wherein theantenna assembly is further configured to communicate with a satellitenetwork, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to monitornetwork parameters of each of the terrestrial network, the ATG networkand the satellite network, and wherein the processing circuitry isconfigured to select one of the terrestrial network, the ATG network andthe satellite network to be a new currently serving network in responseto measured network parameters of the non-serving network meeting anetwork selection criteria relative to measured network parameters ofthe currently serving network.
 19. The unified radio of claim 18,wherein a rate of monitoring the non-serving network changes with a rateof ascent or descent of the aircraft or with a proximity of the aircraftto the first altitude or the second altitude.
 20. The unified radio ofclaim 12, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to maintaineach session during a switch from the currently serving network to thenon-serving network.
 21. The unified radio of claim 12, wherein theprocessing circuitry is configured to monitor network parameters of eachof the terrestrial network and the ATG network, and monitor applicationand service requirements associated with sessions supported by thecurrently serving network, and wherein the unified radio is configuredto select a switch to the non-serving network based on both the networkparameters and latency tolerance associated with the application andservice requirements.